Microsoft Dynamics believes that at the heart of every successful business are people who make things happen. Unlocking and harnessing the potential hidden within these individuals truly drives a dynamic business. Microsoft Dynamics gives your teams proactive, easy-to-use business solutions that are uniquely designed for the way they work. Microsoft Dynamics-Unlock The Potential In Your People.

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Providing Safe Passage: For Business And For The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s greatest treasures, covering 20,055 square kilometres and comprising 2904 coral reefs, 300 coral cays and 600 continental islands. I’ve always been amazed at the majesty and beauty of the reef, and I’m not alone: about two million tourists visit the reef each year .

However, it is as fragile as it is beautiful. As a World Heritage Site, many efforts are taken to ensure that pollution and other harmful activities do not impact the reef and the countless species that consider the reef home.

It may then come as a surprise to you that commercial ships are allowed to pass through the reef. Multiple established commercial shipping routes going through the reef mean that dozens of ships going through the reef each day. In addition, travelling through the reef provides ships with shallower and protected waters that allow them to anchor in the case of mechanical failure, making it safer than going around the reef into open sea and deeper waters.

So how does one maintain both the local shipping trade and preservation of one of nature’s wonders? That’s where marine pilots come in. Marine pilots guide large ships through dangerous and congested waters, using their expertise as shiphandlers and their in-depth understanding of local waterways. As a testament to the skills required for the job, all marine pilots must hold a Master Class 1 Certificate, which essentially allows one to captain a ship of any size, anywhere.

Considering both the complexity and fragility that is the Great Barrier Reef, these marine pilots face a difficult task. Modern ships are getting bigger and harder to navigate, and increasing costs mean fewer crew members at hand on ships. Over 1,600 shipwrecks have occurred in the Great Barrier Reef region ; reef pilots face an immense amount of stress with the knowledge that both the crew and cargo of ships are in their hands.

One such marine pilotage company, Australian Reef Pilots, has been helping ships safely navigate the declared mandatory pilotage areas of the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait for more than a century. For every job, staff must select the most appropriate pilot and ensure the pilot is working within his or her fatigue management guidelines. In addition, Australian Reef Pilots require up-to-date data on the pilots’ rest histories and license status as well as data about the ship, including its estimated time of arrival, depth in the water, speed, the experience of the crew and on-board navigational equipment.

Microsoft Dynamics empowers Australian Reef Pilots by putting in place a robust safety management system, giving its employees access to almost real-time information on their reef pilots and the ships in their charge. The system also checks the data to determine if any aspects of a booking may breach the company’s strict safety requirements. Microsoft Dynamics enables Australian Reef Pilots to determine the right pilot for each job, providing each pilot with the necessary information to navigate ships through the reef and safely to shore and protecting the lives of those within the ship and the reef.

Every day, hundreds of thousands of ships make the journey from one part of the world to another in a long chain of events that bring them from one shore to another. Marine pilots are just one link in the chain, but in the dynamic business environment of tomorrow, every link counts to bring us where we want to go.

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